Cervical Vertebral Metastasis from Tongue Carcinoma: A Rare Case Report and Review.

ABSTRACT

Head and neck cancers are emerging as major health problems in India. In 2010, head and neck cancer was ranked as the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Approximately 481,100 new cases developed, and 320,000 persons died of this disease, resulting in an average mortality rate of 7.3 and 3.2 per 100,000 males and females, respectively. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most common head and neck malignancy having a propensity for the locoregional spread. Vascular invasion is very rare when compared to lymphatic spread. Most frequent sites of distant metastasis are lung, bone, liver, adrenals, heart, and kidney. We report a rare case of 39-year-old male with cervical vertebral metastasis from tongue carcinoma which is 9th case reported according to literature.